“Oh, I’d believe that.”
He chuckled. “Can we start over?”
Shaking her head, she met his gaze head-on. “There’s no need. Hopefully our paths will never cross again.”
“That would be a shame.” He wanted their paths to cross.
Pine Hill had suddenly become a lot more exciting than just burning up vacation time while visiting the Lewis family.
“I can only hope to be so shamefully lucky, then.” Blondie glanced at her watch, then gave another look of irritation. “But if our paths do cross, don’t feel the need to say hello or any other non-pickup lines.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Pivoting, she fought the wind to her car, got inside, and shot him one last look, one that appeared to be full of curiosity until she realized he was watching her. Then, expression pinched, she drove away with a little squeal of her tires.
Watching the car disappear, Zach crammed his hands into his jeans pockets. He’d say hello and a lot more if—no, when—their paths crossed again. No doubt he’d come off with another bad pickup line just to see her eyes ignite. Blondie was likely more bark than bite, but either way, he’d never shied away from danger. Quite the opposite.
She’d been carrying a bag with the quilt shop’s logo. Pine Hill wasn’t that big. He was there another week and would figure out who she was. That part would be easy. But it was going to take a whole lot of Christmas magic to get her to stop looking at him as if he were at the top of Santa’s Naughty List.
*
“I’d liked totell that man a thing or two,” Isabelle Davis mumbled under her breath as she carried a box of Christmas sashes toward the Pine Hill high school music room. “Like how he wasn’t nearly as amusing as he thought he was and how just because he looks like some super-buff movie star, that doesn’t mean—”
“Did you say something, Izzy?”
Ordering her facial features to relax, she smiled at her eighteen-year-old beauty queen cousin who looked a lot like Isabelle’s younger sister, Sophie. They shared the same brown hair and sparkly eyes that were family trademarks. Isabelle was an outlier with her blond locks and blue eyes. Unfortunately. How many times had she wished she’d inherited the darker features of her mother’s family rather than having any resemblance to her father?
“I was talking to myself.” Isabelle willed the tall man with his army emblazoned T-shirt, slightly wavy brown hair that was much too long for him to be active military, and laughing hazel eyes out of her head.
Who was he? She’d lived in Pine Hill all her life, minus college and a year where she’d worked for an accounting firm in Nashville. Mr. Muscled Up Paper Snatcher wasn’t from Pine Hill. Men who looked like him stood out as surely as if they had ahunkneon sign flashing over their head. Ha, men like him would stand out in Times Square, no sign needed. Santa might have him on the naughty list, but he topped the nice looks list.
“Don’t mind me.” She hugged the box to her chest. “Being in these halls where I spent my teenaged years makes me feel over-the-hill.” The tiled floors and painted walls looked exactly as they had when Isabelle had been preparing for her own senior year events.
Even the various handmade poster boards advertising upcoming Christmas events had a familiar feel. How had more than a decade passed since she’d graduated from this very school? Her thirtieth birthday loomed. That wasn’t old, but she sure was nothing like the youthful, idealistic teen smiling at her, either. Then again, had she ever been like that?
The teen gave her an odd look. “You’re not old, Izzy. You’re young and beautiful, not to mention the smartest person I know. I’m sure glad you’re helping with my Christmas choir concert. Can you believe it’s my last one? I can’t imagine not being in Mr. Reeves’s music classes or in this building when so much of my life centers here.”
Exactly. Isabelle wouldn’t point out that life wouldn’t slow down but would continue rushing by, and soon enough it would be Annabelle musing about past glory days. Not that Isabelle expected Annabelle to be like her. No doubt, her cousin would be swept off her feet, just as Sophie had been two years ago by firefighter Cole Aaron. Isabelle was much too practical to get swept away. She could walk just fine all by herself. The annoying army shirt guy popped back into her mind. Was his shirt why he’d instantly set her on edge?
“I love helping with anything you need.” She smiled at the teen over the box she held as they stepped into the music room. “So does Sophie. We adore you.”
“There you are!” The early-thirties choir director crossed the instrument-and-teen-filled room. Pushing his wireframe glasses up the bridge of his nose, his gaze met Isabelle’s. “We’re excited about the concert Christmas sashes you made. They’re going to add a fun pop of color.”
“We’re grateful we were able to help.” Handing the box over, Isabelle smiled.
Trevor Reeves had been with the school a couple of years and had done wonderful things, expanding the band and choir programs. Friendly, he always made a point to say hi at church or social gatherings. She’d gotten the impression he’d liked Sophie, but that interest had been useless as her sister was head over heels for her fiancé.
“I can’t believe you finished them so quickly.” He pulled out a few of the red and green sashes with their festive sequins. “They’re amazing. Not that I expected anything less, but you and Sophie shouldn’t have pushed yourselves.”
“It wasn’t a problem.” As busy as they were with the upcoming holidays and Sophie’s wedding, Isabelle had enjoyed staying late with her sister and working on the project. The one-on-one time they’d always had an abundance of had become a scarcity. “We’re getting things done early to try to keep Sophie as stress-free as possible leading up to her wedding.”
“Does Sophie get stressed?” Trevor laughed. “I’ve never seen her that she wasn’t bubbling over with sunshine.”
Exactly. Isabelle worked hard to make sure her sister stayed that way. Long ago, she’d vowed to protect Sophie from things that stole her happiness. What was a little pre-wedding stress if it kept Sophie smiling? Wasn’t that Isabelle’s job as big sister and maid of honor? To make sure her big day went perfectly?
“You’re a bit of sunshine, too.” Trevor smiled, then shot an embarrassed glance toward Annabelle.
His face pinkening, he unnecessarily pushed his glasses upward again. Had he forgotten the teen was there? Isabelle fought snorting. Compared to Sophie, she was a cloudy day.
